The 2020 season of DOMOTEX, the world’s leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings, runs from 10 to 13 January. Exhibitors and attendees from all around the world will be there, sharing knowledge, ideas and inspiration on the latest products and current trends in their industry. And for the very first time, the popular Framing Trends showcase – the communicative and creative heart of the entire show – will occupy the whole of Hall 8. Framing Trends is where the “ATMYSPHERE” keynote theme takes physical form in an array of ingeniously inspired walkthrough presentations, creating a vibrant, electric atmosphere where thought-provoking discussions can take place and new cooperative ventures can emerge.
The first thing visitors will witness upon entering Hall 8 is an expansive textile horizon on which natural motifs such as trees and water are projected together with architectural features in an atmospheric show of light and imagination. This imagery sets the tone for Framing Trends with its imaginatively designed walkthrough installations inspired by the show’s “ATMYSPHERE” keynote theme, itself a multifaceted exploration of such topics as health and wellbeing, naturalness, sustainability and recycling. In the center of the hall will be a special stage for the Talks program, plus a forum area for creative dialogue and exchange. This is where architects, interior designers and influencers will gather to discover and discuss new products, news and key issues relating to the lead theme. It is also the meeting and departure point for the Tours, in which visitors will be expertly guided to further highlights in the DOMOTEX halls by big-name architects, designers and interior planners. Moving out from this dialogue and communications hub, visitors will discover the individual displays – the frames – that make up the showcase. These are grouped into four zones: Art & Interaction, NuThinkers, Flooring Spaces and the all-new Contract Frames.
The Art & Interaction zone is where artists present amazing, out-of-the-ordinary interpretations of the “ATMYSPHERE” keynote theme. Among them are Serena Garcia Dalla Venezia, from Chile, who will transform textile fibers into a richly colorful landscape of stylized flowers and plants. Then there’s MODICA of Munich, who are presenting glass mosaic fragments united in haptically and visually appealing rows and ornaments inspired by nature.
The NuThinkers zone is where students and startups will present projects addressing the keynote theme. The participants here include Alexander Marinus, who uses a range of techniques to fashion eco-friendly jute fibers into highly imaginative shapes and patterns. Students of the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts have conceived a modular floor system that creates individual, cooling or warming relaxation oases in private or public spaces. The Weissensee School of Art presents aesthetically refined combinations of textiles which are reminiscent of organic structures. Another contribution comes from a startup called “paprfloor” – a company born from an impulse to create more sustainable and environmentally friendly floor covering alternatives for exhibition halls. By teaming up with a paper manufacturer, the founders (based in Weil der Stadt, Germany) literally laid the groundwork for customizable, paper-based floor coverings now used at trade shows throughout the world.
Flooring Spaces is a regular section of Framing Trends where exhibitors from a range of backgrounds present innovative products and installations. “Wood.Works” will address the “ATMYSPHERE” keynote theme by means of various applications of wood conducive to creating indoor spaces with a pleasing look and feel. The products on display range from antibacterial surface treatments to acoustically effective elements.
For the 2020 Framing Trends showcase the Munich-based architecture and design firm Schmidhuber, which specializes in three dimensional walkthrough installations, has developed an exciting new format called Contract Frames. It is a unified theme zone comprising four pavilions (“frames”) and is designed to make the keynote theme a superlatively real and tactile experience. Acoustically effective solutions are integral to all four frames. The “Hotel – Sustainable” frame, for example, examines the acoustic effect of everything from materials and furniture to acoustic panels.
“Wellness – Green Living” is all about health-promoting and environmentally friendly aspects of interiors; “Conference – More than Floor” looks at acoustic solutions, upholstered seating, and everything else in between; and “Health – Wellbeing” deals with such topics as healthy homes, relaxation and yoga. These four “frames” are connected by a patio that highlights the benefits of outdoor flooring systems, providing a fluid transition between indoors and outdoors.
